On World Teachers Day, October 5, Museo Pambata is urging people to share stories about the teachers who influenced their lives.
On its Facebook page, Museo Pambata, a children's interactive museum, said, "We all have a teacher who made an impact in our lives."
Photo by Řaj Vaishnaw from Pexels
In a video, the staff of Museo Pambata paid tribute to their own favorite teachers.
Museum guide Ella Jordan spoke of her favorite teacher Eliza Benitez, who inspired her to become a strong leader. Ella recalled how she felt she was being belittled by her classmates during a school play project. But her teacher encouraged her to stand up for herself and speak what's on her mind. Since then, Ella began seeking advice from her teacher, who has become like a second mom to her.
Noreen Parafina, Museo Pambata's programs director, said her favorite teacher is Froilan Grate, who uses games to teach children to love and care for the environment. "I learned from him that there are simple ways to care for our planet," Noreen said.
World Teacher's Day
World Teachers' Day has been held annually since October 5, 1994. The United Nations said the theme for World Teachers' Day 2020 is “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future”.
On its website, the UN said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by already over-extended education systems throughout the world. It is no exaggeration to say that the world is at a crossroads and, now more than ever, we must work with teachers to protect the right to education and guide it into the unfolding landscape brought about by the pandemic."
The issue of teacher leadership in relation to crisis responses is not just timely, but critical in terms of the contributions teachers have made to provide remote learning, support vulnerable populations, re-open schools, and ensure that learning gaps have been mitigated. The discussions surrounding WTD will also address the role of teachers in building resilience and shaping the future of education and the teaching profession.
In the Philippines, October 5 is also the first day of classes after the opening of classes had to be postponed last June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), about 24.7 million students went back to school on October 5 through "blended learning," a combination of online learning and face-to-face teaching.
"More than 61,000 schools offering K to 12 Basic Education Program reopened to serve about 24,753,906 learners -- 22,525,282 enrollees in public school and 2,173,969 enrollees in private schools," the report said.
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